An interesting segment concerning the restrictions in developing and densification of Osborne Village, the current neighbourhood development plans holds back densifiction with a four storey height limit in most areas and developers argue they can build higher in the suburbs without additional approvals and they want the plan changed and updated which is hasnt been since 2001.

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Osborne Village: Challenges developing into the future
What are the challenges of building new structures in one of Winnipeg's oldest neighbourhoods? Tim Comack is the Vice President of Development with Ventura Land Company. Peter Hargraves is the principal architect with Sputnik Architecture. Both have worked on projects in The Village, and they joined Marcy Markusa live in studio.http://www.cbc.ca/listen/shows/infor...gment/15539116

a quote from the segment:

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The zoo is sitting empty simply because they wanted to knock it down and build a 5, 6, 7 storey building and they weren't allowed to. the parcels they own on Wardlaw same story they wanted to go up in height and density and the density calculations they brought forward the city said no to them, so we have languishing assets sitting in the Village because restrictions preventing the developability. Our Company has invested over 20M in the last number of years there, and we'd continue to do so if the doors were open for investment but there is very little left..

^ If that's true, then why on earth is Osborne subject to a four storey height limit when there are routinely buildings going up on other streets in the area that are taller than that? If anything Osborne should be the street where it's OK to go tall.

The Osborne Village plan is now quite old (2006, I think?) and the city's first attempt at a secondary plan for an existing neighbourhood. A lot of the plan, including its surprisingly restrictive height maximums (four storeys on Osborne, 4-5 on River and Stradbrook) was done to preserve the existing character of the neighbourhood. Some of this was motivated by planning theory that says smaller scale is better than big highrises, but of course a lot of it was motivated by the wealthy old set in the suburban enclave north of Roslyn, and other assorted NIMBYs.

The good news is that the plan is up for a review. Hopefully this means buildings can be taller, while finding more precise ways to keep the fine-grain, dense commercial character of Osborne Street. Height restrictions are such a blunt instrument, and height usually isn't the issue: it's lot sizes and ground floor design. And I say this all as a resident of a 17-storey building in Osborne Village.

The Osborne Village plan is now quite old (2006, I think?) and the city's first attempt at a secondary plan for an existing neighbourhood. A lot of the plan, including its surprisingly restrictive height maximums (four storeys on Osborne, 4-5 on River and Stradbrook) was done to preserve the existing character of the neighbourhood. Some of this was motivated by planning theory that says smaller scale is better than big highrises, but of course a lot of it was motivated by the wealthy old set in the suburban enclave north of Roslyn, and other assorted NIMBYs.

The good news is that the plan is up for a review. Hopefully this means buildings can be taller, while finding more precise ways to keep the fine-grain, dense commercial character of Osborne Street. Height restrictions are such a blunt instrument, and height usually isn't the issue: it's lot sizes and ground floor design. And I say this all as a resident of a 17-storey building in Osborne Village.

Good God. I remember the secondary plan being developed but I don't remember the 4 storey maximums on Osborne. That is staggering... talk about a way to artificially cap the value of those properties ensuring that nothing better gets built on those sites.

I totally agree on height being a blunt instrument... I guess it's just easier to define and regulate that as an issue vs. what really matters.

So was the Corydon-Osborne area plan released last February not actually put into law? It has several blocks of Corydon marked for mid-rise mixed use, only requiring setbacks on floors 3+ if the building is over 7 storeys. It also has the area around Confusion, and on Wellington marked for high rise.

The 4 storey thing on Osborne is ridiculous if we’re touting it as the densest area, and wanting to grow that, especially considering there’s no houses on Osborne, and the towers by the river.

An interesting segment concerning the restrictions in developing and densification of Osborne Village, the current neighbourhood development plans holds back densifiction with a four storey height limit in most areas and developers argue they can build higher in the suburbs without additional approvals and they want the plan changed and updated which is hasnt been since 2001.

a quote from the segment:

Opinions on height restrictions not withstanding, shouldn't they had known about the height restriction when they purchased the building?

Someone here suggested that Za Pizza might be looking at the old Second Cup. But I had also heard Tim Hortons, Freshii and others named, so who knows. In any case, there's not much evidence of activity in there. They've dome some demo work a while back but right now it's pretty dead

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Originally Posted by trueviking

There’s a bubble tea place near confusion corner.

Yeah, the waffle and bubble tea place? It seems pretty quiet a lot of the time.

Speaking of, the hydroponic place right next door is now vacant. Hope something interesting goes in.

Opinions on height restrictions not withstanding, shouldn't they had known about the height restriction when they purchased the building?

I mean it sucks, but it shouldn't have been a surprise.

these developers don't seem super experienced. their only other project AFIK is that Moco development on Pembina (the one with the corrugated grey siding and coloured balconies near the Vic Gen hospital). That one's been built for 4 years and there are still unsold units.

Yeah, the waffle and bubble tea place? It seems pretty quiet a lot of the time.

Speaking of, the hydroponic place right next door is now vacant. Hope something interesting goes in.

Tea Story is amazing, always pretty busy when I go in there. Get a Korean BBQ waffle!

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Originally Posted by borkborkbork

these developers don't seem super experienced. their only other project AFIK is that Moco development on Pembina (the one with the corrugated grey siding and coloured balconies near the Vic Gen hospital). That one's been built for 4 years and there are still unsold units.

Yeah I mean I wouldn't want to live in an oversized shipping container that wouldn't even meet design minimums for a prison either.